Bad Monkey Recap: The Monkey of It All

As a seasoned detective with years of experience under my belt, I must say that this latest turn of events in the Keys has me scratching my head like never before. The twists and turns are as unpredictable as the Florida Everglades at high tide!


As a movie critic, let me share my thoughts three episodes into the series: The monkey, Driggs, is more scavenger than the ominous title implies. I was expecting an actual malevolent primate in the storyline, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Thankfully, as an animal lover, I appreciate the distinction.

As a cinephile, let me rephrase that: Hey there, Neville and Yancy aren’t entirely villainous… at least not completely. Despite Yancy grumbling about “the absurdity of it all” while examining Neville’s sister’s kitchen, he refrains from issuing a violation because he wants to hear Neville’s side of the story first. At this moment, he holds the upper hand with Neville’s sister, and he doesn’t want to jeopardize that. This is something Yancy can empathize with, so he agrees to return in a day or two. In return, Neville hints at a favor yet to be repaid, which I have a feeling we’ll see play out soon.

Despite seemingly losing his land, Neville is persistently attempting its reclamation. He returns to his former property in search of his fishing boat when he encounters Christopher, who appears to be relaxing in a chair. Christopher claims that he discarded the boat as it was on his land, and Neville feebly (and comically) disagrees, stating that it was on the water, which no one owns. In response, Christopher fires at both of them, further establishing himself as an abhorrent individual. As Neville starts to understand that reason doesn’t sway these individuals, he decides to pay a visit to the Dragon Queen.

The Dragon Queen attends the funeral of the person she assisted in passing away, so she asks Neville to wait for her close by. Here, we’re introduced to Lulu and Dawnie, with Dawnie being the focus of Neville’s affections. She’s kind and isn’t afraid to call him out on his nonsense, but it’s also peculiar that she lives near a cemetery. Her daughter Lulu suggests that the Dragon Queen’s magic is at work. This seems significant, though it may just be to demonstrate the queen’s mysterious power on the island. Neville isn’t completely convinced yet. When he eventually speaks with the queen, she says, “There’s no magic without faith,” to which Neville replies, “I will find faith.” However, that’s not enough for Ya-Ya. She demands that he make a sacrifice to prove his dedication. With nothing more to offer, he gives up Driggs. In a poignant scene, Driggs lifts his small arms towards Neville, pleading to be taken back. But he doesn’t. He doesn’t even tell Ya-Ya and the queen about Driggs’ affection for grapes or share some of his tiny diapers! He just storms off. Not a good move, Neville. However, I believe that Driggs will be well taken care of by L. Scott Caldwell because I trust her completely and cannot fathom her being unkind to a monkey.

As a seasoned fan of the ongoing drama unfolding, I can’t help but feel a mix of excitement and intrigue as new twists keep unfolding. The Dragon Queen, with her cunning mind, has managed to secure an extra $500 and a monkey to aid in her schemes against Christopher. Meanwhile, Neville, our rogue hero, has decided to take matters into his own hands by breaking into Christopher’s office and making off with a potentially incriminating USB drive from a locked drawer.

As Madeline shares with me that her late boyfriend Phinney had been given a cooler branded by Nick’s business, which now belongs to her, I can’t help but wonder about the odd habit of using containers that once held body parts. It seems peculiar, if not downright disturbing. But moving on…

In this thrilling turn of events, as the authentic law enforcement arrives, Yancy and I, swift and nimble Rosa, make a hasty exit through the back door. We’re met by an unscathed watchdog, fortunately untouched by any monkey-related trauma (if you’ve seen the rest of the episode, you’ll get the joke). Unfortunately for Yancy, his speed was just a hair too sluggish, leading the dog to take a playful nip at him – an injury that becomes a recurring visual gag throughout the rest of the episode.

O’Peele confirms that Midwest Mobile Medical was a total scam. They never laid eyes on any patients, and Nick gave him a thousand bucks for every scooter prescription written. The patients never even knew about it because Nick sent the bills to the insurance company, and the companies paid Midwestern Mobile Medical directly. Honestly? Screw the insurance companies! I approve of this scam. But somehow, it ended in Nick losing his arm and O’Peele living in a drug haze in a shitty apartment, so I guess it’s also got its downsides. As far as interrogations go, it’s an engaging and funny chat, that is, until O’Peele finds out that Phinney is dead. Then his eyes go dead and he ends the convo.

Yancy and Rosa go out for some ice cream. She tells him that the bone fragments match Nick Stripling, leading to more subtle flirting between them. Eventually, they decide to call it a day. However, O’Peele feels uneasy. He contacts Eve (!) and voices his worries, but she assures him that he’ll receive top-notch oxy care if he visits Andros. This sounds appealing to him, but when he finds the brochure for the distastefully named Curly Tail Lane development in Andros is missing, he messages Yancy in a state of panic.

Our guy is just trying to fish to clear his head when everyone decides to text him at once. Madeline expresses concern that she’s being followed, O’Peele reaches out, and Sonny tells him to come claim his new car. The first thing he does with it is go on some very illegal business to visit O’Peele. On the way, he finds time to call Caitlin to tell her that the bone shards in Eve’s shower matched her father’s DNA. Caitlin is surprised, but Yancy doesn’t have much time to chat because he rolls up on O’Peele’s place. He hears a gunshot as he enters the apartment complex and runs up the stairs to find O’Peele dead, shot in the head in front of his emotional-support drug nook. Yancy scoots out as fast as possible, but not before being spotted by one of the neighbors.

He visits Rosa to discuss current matters and tend to his injured dog. Upon informing her that O’Peele has passed away, they mutually agree that someone needs to safeguard Madeline, as she is the sole individual aware of the truth. Attempting to reach Rogelio proves unsuccessful due to him being overly filled with paella, so the pair instead decide to investigate Chest Candy.

As Yancy unsuccessfully attempts to reach Madeline, it’s clear that he is labeled as “Quirky Detective” in her phone contacts. Bravo, Madeline. She seems fine but a bit uneasy due to the unexpected visits from Yancy, Rosa, and Rogelio at odd hours while she handles suggestive t-shirts. I strongly advocate for Madeline’s safety above all else!

In other parts of the Keys, Caitlin ventures into the dragon’s den to challenge Eve over the murder of her father. However, Eve is frustrated – they’ve gone through this already! – but when Caitlin brandishes a gun at her, there’s no more room for deceit. “I’ll never admit to killing your father … because I didn’t,” Eve declares victoriously as Nick steps up behind his daughter and wraps her in a warm, one-armed embrace.

Wow! Shocking turn of events! Excited exclamations! To be honest, I didn’t see it coming that Christopher and Nick were one and the same, but I’m deeply engrossed in this series, and this revelation was quite thrilling. I have a soft spot for bumbling criminals, and these two are captivating representations of Florida Man and Florida Woman, so I can’t wait to see them apprehended by Yancy and Rosa, exposed by Neville, cursed by the Dragon Queen, or a combination of all three. Or perhaps Driggs will shock us with his own descent into villainy.

Monkeying Around

As a film enthusiast, it’s simply baffling how Eve and Nick could have named their boat “Summer’s Eve” and now their luxury resort as “Curly Tail Lane.” I mean, really? These names sound more like a romantic comedy plot twist than the grandeur of a luxurious getaway. It’s high time they face the consequences for their lack of creativity in naming things that should be nothing short of spectacular!

“The most amusing moment of the show: ‘Tigers aren’t found in Florida!’ ‘Actually, there’s been a documentary about it, you know.'” This version maintains the original meaning and tone while using more natural, conversational language.

It transpires that there’s a backstory as to why Yancy quit the Miami PD and moved to the Keys, which centers around an individual named Johnny Mendez. As of now, we don’t have the complete tale, but what we do learn is quite amusing: every time he drives past Johnny’s house, Yancy intentionally uproots his mailbox, displaying a charmingly petty act.

Is Heather not around to give us updates on the weather, as a severe hurricane has been predicted? Who can fill us in on this impending storm instead?

• This episode features two Tom Petty covers: “Runnin’ Down a Dream” by Larkin Poe, played while Rosa and Yancy flee Midwest Mobile Medical, and a poignant rendition of “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” by composer Jamie Jackson. In her interpretation, Jackson stepped into the shoes of Mary Jane and collaborated with an entire female orchestra to create this cover. Dive deeper into her creative process here.

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2024-08-21 22:54